LOS ANGELES — Marqueece Harris-Dawson was sworn in as City Council president Friday, succeeding Paul Krekorian in a ceremony marked by a standing ovation and the passing of the gavel, as he leads the 15-member council in addressing homelessness, housing goals and policies affecting nearly 4 million Los Angeles residents.

Harris-Dawson is expected to lead the council until December. After that, a new council, once established with at least one new member, will conduct another vote for council leadership.

Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who chairs the council's Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee, will serve as the next pro tem.

The leadership transition follows Krekorian's announcement earlier this year that he would step down due to his upcoming departure from the council in December, as mandated by term limits. Krekorian officially led his final council meeting Wednesday.

"Boy, this is a big day," Harris-Dawson said. "Thank you all so much for everything that you've given, the energy that you brought into this room and brought me to this moment."

In his speech, Harris-Dawson outlined his vision for the city — giving everybody an opportunity to weigh in on the big issues.

"All of us live in places that maybe were a little shiner when we got here than they are now, and maybe were a little more peaceful than they are now. We all have the job of restoring the city again, to leave it at least as good — if not better — than the people left it to us," Harris-Dawson said.

Residents of the 8ht District elected Harris-Dawson in 2015, where he won with a 62% of the vote in the area, encompassing neighborhoods such as Baldwin Hills, Chesterfield Square, Crenshaw, Jefferson Park and others.

"I have seen Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson's work as a fierce advocate to advance social and economic justice for all Angelenos up close for years," Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. "He knows how to get things done and knows that we can get more done when we collaborate as opposed to double down in unnecessary conflict."

The mayor emphasized that the City Council is a "vital partner" in efforts to move LA forward.

"I look forward to continuing this work with the new council president and the entire City Council as we work to serve the people of Los Angeles," Bass added.

In a sit-down interview with City News Service last week in his council office on the fourth floor of City Hall, Harris-Dawson said he was "very excited and very humbled" to serve as the next council president.

"The exciting part of LA right now is that we're the biggest city with probably the biggest problems, certainly in the United States, but probably in the world, and so we have to produce the biggest solutions," Harris-Dawson said.

"At the same time, we've been put on the clock because the world selected us to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup," he added. "We've got to be ready and put our best foot forward. At the same time, we've got to do that in a way that increases the quality of life for Angelenos because Angelenos are having a tough time."

He shared that his relationship with Bass will be a benefit to city governance. Harris-Dawson and Bass have a long history dating back to 1995, when he joined the Community Coalition, and later succeeded then-U.S. Rep. Bass as president and CEO of the South LA nonprofit.

"We're all better when we're working together — when we're rowing in the same direction, especially with the magnitude of the problems that we face," Harris-Dawson said. "Competition can be good, but competition in the political sense can also be counterproductive."

The councilman noted that any major changes to council committees may come in December, once a new council is established.

With Krekorian's departure, voters in the 2nd District, encompassing the eastern San Fernando Valley, will cast ballots for one of two candidates in November — former state Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian and small-business owner Jillian Burgos. Additionally, voters in the 14th District, encompassing downtown LA and northeast neighborhoods, will decide whether to reelect Councilman Kevin de León or support a new leader, tenant rights attorney Ysabel Jurado.

Harris-Dawson mentioned the possibility of adding a committee focused on unarmed response programs in the city. He also expressed his frustration with the "rancor and lack of decorum" in council meetings, and how LA is at a disadvantage because processes are slow.

"I also get concerned about how, because we're a big city, it takes a while to move," Harris-Dawson said. "There is technology that can move the needle and help us do things faster and better, and doesn't involve anybody losing their job. It might involve a worker learning some new skills, but it doesn't involve a huge job loss. But we are stuck for some reason."

On public safety, there's a big question that may soon get an answer as to who will be the next permanent chief of police.

The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that two of three finalists were seen arriving at Getty House, the mayor's residence, for candidate interviews — Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides, commanding officer of the South Bureau, and former LAPD assistant chief Robert Arcos, who now works for the LA County district attorney's office.

The third candidate is said to be former LA County Sheriff and one- time LAPD Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell, according to The Times, citing sources familiar with the search but who were not authorized to discuss it.

Interim LAPD Chief Dominic Choi has led the department since March after former chief Michel Moore resigned in February.

Harris-Dawson said he would like to see a police chief who will be a proponent and an advocate for, and champion of, reform efforts, as well as community-safety partnerships and gang-intervention efforts such as the Crisis and Incident Response through Community-led Engagement program.

"We're going to want somebody who takes us into the future," he added.

He noted there are other elements important to public safety, such as improving roads, preventing automobile accidents, addressing nuisance properties and ensuring street lighting.

"There's a variety of things. You can't just take an overlay and say this works for everybody — different things work in different communities and we need to suss that out and help facilitate that," Harris-Dawson said.

One of the councilman's goals will be to continue efforts on homelessness. According to the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, there were 45,252 unhoused individuals in the city of LA compared to 46,260 in 2023, a decrease of about 2.2%.

Additionally, the report showed a reduction in unsheltered homelessness of 10.4% in the city.

The 54-year-old also shared some advice, reflecting on his political career.

"Find something specific and discrete that you want to make a difference in. Find the people who are doing that and work with them," Harris- Dawson said.

"The second thing is relationships. Relationships. Relationships," he said. "You don't want to move alone or move as an individual. You want to move inside in the context of community or communities. You want people that believe in you ... that show up and make your campaign a real possibility."

Last, he said, "Don't focus on the prize. Focus on the process."